Swanton Rea's Double Chocolate Stout
Hermitage Brewing

Swanton Rea's Double Chocolate StoutSwanton Rea's Double Chocolate Stout
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From:
Hermitage Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
American Stout
ABV:
8%
Score:
73
Avg:
2.9 | pDev: 24.83%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
28
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 18, 2013
Added:
Jan 06, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 1.75 by CommanderOfAwesome from California

Mar 18, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by Doberman from California

Jan 02, 2013
Photo of BeerManDan
Reviewed by BeerManDan from California

2.75/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Poured a dark brown with tan foam and lace on the side of the glass. The smell of roasted malts with a hint of smoke. The flavor was had a bitter, bitter taste of over roasted malts. Just like burnt coffee taste. The mouthfeel was bitter with no pleasant flavor on the palate. This was so much a dissapointment for this stout.
Aug 21, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by steve8robin from Massachusetts

Apr 29, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by sandy408 from California

Apr 14, 2012
Photo of Drinkerofales
Reviewed by Drinkerofales from California

3.19/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours dark brown, almost black and brown on the edges, with a small mocha head that dissipated quickly to leave some lacing.

Smell is roasted malt, dark chocolate and dark fruit, and some booze. Smell is great.

Taste is overly bitter chocolate and roasted malt. There is some hop in there, but this is a really one dimensional flavor overall.

The beer is thin, and not much body. The low carbonation leave gives you and alcoholic bite that is unappealing.

I liked the 500ml size, but this was kind of boring. The smell was great, and I had high hopes, but that was the best part of the beer. If only it had it lived up to the aroma.

DOA
Feb 25, 2012
Photo of McD0uche
Reviewed by McD0uche from California

2.69/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass:

A: Dark brown with reddish hues. No head nor lacing. A few copper bubbles dance pitifully on the surface.

S: Deep, dark chocolate. Sweet. Toasted malts, and a kind of smokey smell. Probably the best quality of this beer.

T: Heavy dark chocolate. Ends bitter, tastes boozy throughout the experience.

M: Very carbonated, with a lighter body. Crisp, if that makes sense. This doesn't feel right in my mouth at all.

O: I was disappointed in this one. The smell had hints of a good experience, but it fell short overall.
Feb 16, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by tirlzx from California

Feb 11, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by EddieG28 from California

Feb 01, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by NickMunford from Wyoming

Jan 22, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by RXUYDC from California

Jan 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by tbeq00 from California

Dec 27, 2011
Photo of DarthKostrizer
Reviewed by DarthKostrizer from California

2.29/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Look: Black and totally opaque with a good 1/2 inch head and above average retention

Smell: Roasted malt and dark chocolate

Taste: A bit of the same from the nose but it has a bit of oxidation and metallic notes and finishes with a rough roasted malt character and some ash

Mouthfeel: Medium body and low carbonation

Overall: This is truly a waste of money and should be avoided
Dec 13, 2011
 
Rated: 2 by nmann08 from Virginia

Nov 18, 2011
 
Rated: 2 by codynevels from California

Nov 16, 2011
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Reviewed by Zorro from California

3.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Very dark brown colored beer with net to no head.

Smell is very strong patent malt. Smells bittersweet with chocolate, coffee and faint smoke. Cake batter malt aroma. No real hop scent.

Starts out neutral in sweetness and lots of patent malt and not much else. And that is about it for the flavor, never really develops and seems thin in the mouth.

Mouthfeel is decidedly thin.

Overall not impressed or entertained either. Pretty much what can minimally called a Stout. Highly disappointing.
Nov 13, 2011
Photo of broken22
Reviewed by broken22 from California

3.83/5  rDev +32.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours out a nice and dark with very minimal head. The smell is not to strong but what I can smell seems a little on the bitter side of sweet. This beer has flavor throughout. I can really taste the chocolate. It reminds me of 70% dark cacao flavor especially on the back end. The back end really feels like I had just at a piece of chocolate because it has the same lingering bitterness. This has a very nice amount of carbonation that bites the tongue.

Overall I like this brew. I don't know why it got such low reviews. I think it's a damn decent chocolate beer. The label is pretty cool. They used design elements from old dollar bills.
Aug 08, 2011
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

2.68/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Appearance: Pours a cocoa brown color with a modest head; leaves a squiggle or two behind

Smell: Burnt toast and cocoa

Taste: Burnt toast, up front, with a chocolate addition that adds a phenolic character by mid-palate; after the swallow, the chocolate flavor returns to prominance but there is a burnt, phenolic off flavor that disturbs the finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Nice label - thought this was going to be something special; my mistake
Jul 14, 2011
Photo of comfortablynumb1
Reviewed by comfortablynumb1 from California

2.83/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Poured from 500ml bottle into an Old Raspy pint glass. Front label states 'Irondale Brewery'...

A - Pours black with a two finger light brown head on fairly aggressive pour. Head dissipates rather quick, but here is some slippery lacing to be had...

S - Dark roasted malts, black coffee, and dark chocolate...

T - Lots of bitter cocoa notes. A little over the top. Also pick up some black roasted cofee and dark roasted malts. Ends with some lingering cocoa and a good dose of bitter hops. Finish is dry. Abv is well hidden...

M - Pretty light. On the lower side of medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation and a dry finish...

O - Price/taste ratio is way out of whack here. I paid 7 dollars for a 500ml bottle. Hermitage needs to reassess their product, and adjust the price accordingly. If this brew was half the price I would have given it a higher overall score. Glad I got a chance to try this, but not something that I will be buying again in the near future...

Cheers...
Jul 10, 2011
Swanton Rea's Double Chocolate Stout from Hermitage Brewing
Beer rating: 73 out of 100 with 28 ratings